Family: Brusly native home from hospital

Family: Brusly native home from hospital

The Brusly native who was attacked by a homeless man on a beach in Rio de Janeiro nearly a month ago returned to her home in Brazil from the hospital on Thanksgiving Day, her mother said.

Mary Johnson Sarradet said she spoke to her daughter Renee Elliott Murdoch, 44, for about 45 minutes Thursday from Murdoch’s home in Brazil. She said her daughter was fully cognizant of her surroundings, including the four Brazilian TV cameras following her.

“She sounded real good, she really did,” Sarradet said. “I think she still has a long ways to go.”

Sarradet said she kept up with her daughter’s progress via YouTube videos Renee’s husband, Philip Murdoch, and family members posted.

Renee Murdoch was walking along the city’s Barra beach on Oct. 26 when she crossed paths with a homeless man who was hitting a food kiosk with a fence post. The man approached her and hit her several times with the post, authorities have said.

She was rushed to the hospital with severe swelling of the brain. Doctors placed her in a medically induced coma after operating on her twice for more than four hours, her family said.

Sarradet said doctors will remove the staples in her daughter’s head in a few weeks.

Sarradet said she and her son Buddy Elliott, Renee’s brother, plan to travel to Rio de Janeiro in a week to visit her.

Philip and Renee moved to Brazil 12 years ago and founded Light to the Nations, a Christian organization that does missionary work.